The New Agent
by rivendaen
Summary: Anthony DiNozzo has met his match. She is smart, pretty and full of life. The only problem is, she's the boss's daughter. Rated T for language. Chapter 8 finally up!
1. Chapter 1

Sitting at his desk, bored stiff, Tony began to throw pencils into the ceiling. Across from him, sat his co-worker, Kate Todd. She was a tall, dark-haired woman with a strong will. In front of him, sat Timothy McGee. He was another co-worker. Kind of shaky Tony thought. He was quite gullible, but despite how Tony treated him, he was a nice guy. Continuing to throw pencils into the ceiling, he was waiting for his boss, Jethro Gibbs. The three agents had been called in on a homicide investigation of a local petty officer. They all served in the Naval Criminal Investigative Service. They investigated the deaths and disappearances of Navy soldiers. Tony was startled when the elevator doors opened and his bosses voice boomed obnoxiously. He nearly feel over in his chair.

"DiNozzo! Stop that!" Tony groaned and looked to his boss. Behind him was a young brunette with gleaming grey-blue eyes in a blue skirt and tank top. She wore a black leather tool belt equipped with a gun and various other officer necessities. Staring at her, he noticed how incredibly beautiful she was. Her long brown hair hung past her shoulders in defined ringlets. Around her neck she wore a pendant with a Japanese symbol on it. Freckles dotted her perfectly tanned complexion. She wore a half-hearted on her face and rolled her eyes. Tony glanced to his other co-workers. Behind him, McGee was staring at her as if she'd dropped from heaven. Across from him, Kate was indifferent. There were new people passing through these doors everyday. 

"Guys, I'd like you to meet the new addition to our team. My daughter," he looked to her with a proud smile and stepped aside. "She's fresh out of the Marines and is going to be working with us. Does anyone have a problem with this?" He glanced around quickly. Tony was holding his tongue. He was going to say something, but now his job would be at stake if he did.

"Wait," Kate looked over to the duo and rose to her feet. "Since when do you have a daughter?" she asked. Gibbs laughed.

"You don't ask, I don't tell." He placed a hand on his daughter's shoulder. She folded her arms and sighed. He continued to speak. "This is Candice, she'll be working with us. She was top of her class and I expect you to treat her like any other agent around here." Tony smirked, but sank into his chair when Gibbs glared at him. "Don't even think about it DiNozzo." Gibbs shifted his eyes around the room and landed on McGee. "You can lift that jaw now McGee," he stated bluntly. Tony swung around and laughed at the shy agents expression. His jaw had hit the floor and he was still staring at the young new agent.

"At least I'm not the only one who thinks so," he snickered. Kate rolled her eyes.

"Men, you're all the same," she muttered before looking back to Candice. The new agent seated at her father's desk staring at the ceiling. She too was beginning to throw pencils into it. Kate groaned and sank back into her chair.

"So," Gibbs started, "Are we all ready to go? We have a crime scene waiting for us." Candice slowly got out of her seat and followed the boss into the elevator. Tony's jaw hit the floor.

"I don't believe this. I get in trouble for it, and she gets away with it!" Kate smirked. Tony sneered. "You're loving this already, aren't you?" She laughed and nodded.

"Boss's daughter," she said as she entered the elevator. Tony groaned and looked to McGee. He was still silent as ever. "You're quiet," he whispered. McGee didn't respond. The elevator ride to the lobby was silent and weird. Once downstairs, Tony raced for the car. Candice beat him to it.

"Shot gun," she declared. He sneered.

"Not fair."

"DiNozzo, in the back. That's where dogs belong," Gibbs said sharply as he climbed into the driver's seat..

"That wasn't very nice," Tony muttered as he crawled in the back seat. Kate and McGee climbed in on either side of him. "Now this isn't fair. I have to sit in the middle?"

"Don't complain," Gibbs said as he lifted his coffee to his lips. Tony wrinkled his nose and sank further into the seat. He remained silent the rest of the trip to the crime scene.

The investigators met Ducky, the medical examiner, at the scene. There was a young woman, about thirty, naked in a dumpster behind a local club. She had bruises on her arms, legs and face. Her ankles and wrists were slit and there were strap markings on her throat and knees. Burn marks covered her chest and stomach.

"This looks like torture," Candice said as she pulled on pair of gloves. "Dad, hoist me up," she asked as she grabbed onto the edge of the dumpster.

"You're going in there?" Tony asked. She stared him. "Well, someone has to collect evidence. It sure doesn't look like you're ready to." She said as she sneered at his unwrinkled suit. Everyone chuckled and his jaw dropped.

"You're in a skirt!" he retaliated. She shrugged as Gibbs hoisted her into the dumpster. Tony stood on his tip toes to see if she was OK. She'd landed on her knees.

"You see," she said as she peeked over the edge in front of him. Brushing an old piece of meat from her side, she grinned. "I'm not afraid to do a little dirty work."

"Be careful in there," Gibbs instructed. "There could be needles." She nodded and gave him the thumbs-up.

"Don't worry daddy, I've done this before." She crawled over to the body and began searching for any forms of ID. Ducky was in there with her.

"Have a time of death?" she asked. He nodded.

"Approximately ten to twelve hours ago," he looked the body over again. "Is it alright if I take it back to the morgue and perform the autopsy?" he asked. She smiled.

"Of course. I'll help you lift the body onto the trolley." With little effort, the duo lifted the body over the edge of the dumpster onto a waiting stretcher.

"I'll see you back at the lab Ducky," Gibbs said as he waved bye to his friend. Candice continued her search for evidence. "Need any help?" Gibbs asked as he took a drink of his coffee. She shook her head.

"Not really," she replied. "I can do this myself." Gibbs shook his head.

"DiNozzo, get in there," he ordered. Tony's eyes widened.

"Forget it! This is a two hundred dollar suit!" he shouted. Gibbs glared at him.

"Get in there. Kate, help him in." He scoffed at his female co-worker as she burst out laughing.

"My pleasure, boss," she said as she held her hands out to hoist him in.

"I told you I don't need any help, dad," Candice sneered. Gibbs smirked as Tony struggled to climb in the dumpster.

"You need someone to catch all those needles for you, honey," he laughed. Tony groaned.

"Now that's not funny boss," he said as he threw his arms inside the dumpster and struggled to push himself in. Kate laughed too and pushed him in. He landed on his face in a pile of rotten meat. Candice burst into a fit of laughter and continued to shuffle through old receipts.

"At least I won't be the only stinky one," she smiled. He wrinkled his nose and followed her lead.

"OK, you two, we're gonna go back to the office, call us if you find anything," Gibbs ordered.

"OK daddy," Candice called as the other trio walked away. Tony grunted.

"A daddy's girl, are we?" he asked sarcastically. She frowned and shrugged but paused as she lifted a wallet from underneath a pile of plastic.

"Hey, I got something," she said as she turned to Tony. "A wallet," she opened it. Inside was a New York State driver's licence. "It was issued to a Thomas Morrissey," she told him. She checked to see if there was any cash. "No cash, no credit cards. It could be a robbery from another case, but I'll bag it as evidence anyway." Tony turned away from her and looked in his own section.

"Don't they have people to do this? Dumpster diving?" he asked as he dug through a pile of indistinguishable items. Candice chuckled.

"Yah, but it's more accurate if we do it. Besides, I'm trained in this area. I just chose the agent route because it was less messy. But hell, what's some dirt under the finger nails?" she snickered. Tony shook his head.

"You are unlike any female agent I ever met," he pointed out. She poked her head around his shoulder and dropped a gun in his hands.

"I'm Jethro Gibbs's' daughter," she stated plainly. Tony sighed and examined the gun.

"There was no bullet wounds in our vic," he told her. She shrugged.

"It could be linked to our case, or another one entirely and totally irrelevant to ours. But it's worth bagging, right?" she asked. He nodded.

"Sure. Now, when can we get out of here?" She looked at him and smirked.

"Tell me how we're getting back. Daddy took the car," she laughed. Tony groaned and pulled out his cell phone. He quickly dialled Gibbs' number.

"Gibbs," his boss answered.

"It's Tony, we need a ride back to the office," he said quickly. Gibbs laughed.

"Fine, I'll send McGee to get you." With that, he hung up. Tony slid his phone into his pocket.

"McGee is on his way," he told her. She groaned. With a quick glance over his shoulder, he noticed an odd solemn expression on her face. "Let's get out of this dumpster," he suggested. As he reached for her hand to help her up, she ripped it away and jumped over the edge of the dumpster.

"You OK?" he asked. She grunted and brushed off her clothes.

"I'm fine," she muttered as she slid on her sunglasses.

"Well, McGee will be a few minutes. He's not that great a driver," he laughed. Again, he noticed her face twist in disgust.

"Maybe I'll walk," she muttered as she headed out of the alley. He raced to her side and grabbed her wrist.

"You do know that Gibbs would kill me if anything happened to you?" he swallowed at the thought. She tore her hand from his grip.

"I'm a big girl, I can take care of myself. Besides, I have a gun, who's gonna mug me?" Tony sighed. When he looked up, he saw the black Intrepid pull into the alley.

"Look, there he is now," he pointed out. Reluctantly, she dragged herself into the car. She stole the front seat and looked to McGee. She remained silent but cold. Once back at the office, she raced upstairs to her father.

"We found some things that you might want Abbey to look at." She spoke so casually, as if she had known them her whole life. Tony glanced over to McGee, who still stared at Candice with awe

"OK man, we get it, she's beautiful." McGee groaned and shook his head. He headed over to Gibbs and retrieved the wallet.

"I'll work on finding this man's family and see if its any connection to our case," he told him. Gibbs nodded and headed to the lab with the gun.

"I'll take this to Abbey. Kate, DiNozzo, occupy yourselves." Tony wrinkled his nose and collapsed in his chair.

"Man, you wreak!" Kate shouted. "I think you should go take a shower!" she laughed as she swung around in her chair. He sneered and turned away from her. His gaze landed on Candice, who was seated in her father's chair tossing a red ball repeatedly in the air.

"You should tell her the same thing," he muttered as he stood up.

"Tell me what, DiNozzo?" she asked as she caught the ball and leaned forward in her chair. His eyes widened.

"Man, she is Gibbs' daughter!" he exclaimed. Candice laughed and jumped to her feet.

"Well I'm gonna take Kate's advice," she paused as she dropped the ball on her father's desk. "A shower sounds pretty nice," she said as she passed Tony. Those grey-blue eyes landed on him and he swallowed. She leaned in close with a sly smile and ran her long, sleek fingers over his tie. "Wanna join?" He stared at her. Over her shoulder, he saw Kate's jaw hit the floor. It wasn't long before Candice burst out laughing.

"Yah right!" she exclaimed. "You thought I was serious?" she howled. "You pig." She shoved him down in his chair. With more laughter, she disappeared from the room. Tony felt his face turn red. Kate was beginning to smile too.

"Looks like Tony's met his match," she said as she glanced quickly to McGee. He had a stern expression on his face.

"What's wrong with you?" she asked. "You've been acting weird all day." He opened his mouth to speak but nothing came out. Tony cut him off.

"He's got the hots for her," he smirked, the blush fading from his face. McGee snarled and went back to his search. Gibbs returned shortly. He looked to Tony and wrinkled his nose.

"I think you need a shower before you go anywhere else," he chuckled. Tony sneered and left his co-workers to go find the locker room.


	2. Chapter 2

In the locker room, Tony sorted through his things to find an extra t-shirt and pants. All he found was his lost credit card and an old burrito. He wrinkled his nose in disgust and sat down on the bench. While he thought of what to do next, he listened to someone humming in the next row of lockers. He slowly rose to his feet and tiptoed to the edge of the aisle. When he peeked around the corner, he saw Candice in a black towel. Her dark hair hung wet down her back and dripped slowly to the floor. She hummed a soft tune as she sorted through her locker for an extra outfit. The humming stopped when her cell phone began to ring. She grabbed it quickly and held it to her ear.

"Speedle," she answered professionally. A look of panic crossed her face as she listened to the person on the other end. She remained silent for a long period of time. When she finally got the chance to speak, she was quick. "OK, tell him everything's gonna be OK, I'm on my way." She slammed her phone shut and pulled a tank top and jeans out of her locker. After disappearing for a moment, she returned dressed and disappointed. "Not again," she muttered as she slammed her locker door. She rested her head against it and sighed. "I know you're there DiNozzo," she muttered. "I can smell you." Tony groaned and came out of hiding.

"What was that all about?" he asked calmly. She lifted her head and sneered.

"None of your business," she grumbled as she slid her phone in her pocket. "Now if you don't mind, I have to run off for a while." When she left the locker room, Tony stared at her locker. It read 'Speedle', not 'Gibbs'. The same name she'd answered with. She must've been married. But he saw no wedding ring. Deciding that he'd pried enough for one day, he took off back to the office.

"I thought I told you to shower," Gibbs said without looking up from his coffee.

"I had no clean clothes boss," he replied. "Could I run home?" Gibbs glanced to him and wrinkled his nose.

"I guess you can, but you have a half-hour, then back to work," he demanded. Tony nodded and headed to the elevator. In the parking lot, he ran into Candice. She was fidgeting with the lock on her black Dodge pick-up.

"Need some help?" he offered. She snarled and didn't look up.

"I'm fine," she muttered. He laughed. "You don't look it." She shot him a glare. "I must've lost my keys in the dumpster. Stupid me," she grumbled as she slumped against the vehicle.

"I'll give you a ride," he offered. She stared at him and frowned.

"Forget it DiNozzo," she scoffed. He rolled his eyes. "I'll drop you off. I need to go home anyway. Where do you need to go?" he asked. She stood up straight and glanced to her left.

"St. Charles Elementary," she responded hesitantly. DiNozzo stared at her.

"What for? You got a kid or something?" She narrowed her eyes and shot him a threatening gaze.

"Stay out of my business and I'll stay out of yours."

After dropping Candice off, Tony drove slowly home, wondering about her. She was sure a mysterious girl and caught everyone's eye. He was so preoccupied with that, he forgot about his time limit. A quick glance to the clock told him he had only fifteen minutes to get home, shower and get back to the office. Gibbs would kill him if he were late.

"I hope McGee found a lead with that wallet," he muttered as he pulled in the parking lot of his apartment. When he stepped out of his vehicle, he got looks from everyone around. "What?" he grumbled as he pulled out his keys and headed into the complex. Once in his suite, he took a quick shower and threw on another suit. He had five minutes to make it back or Gibbs would fire his ass.

Reluctantly, he trekked back out to his car. He drove slowly back to the office and got back seven minutes late.

"You're late," Gibbs grumbled as he stood behind McGee and stared at the computer screen.

"Sorry," he muttered as he threw his keys down on his desk. "But I had to drop your daughter off. She lost her keys in the dumpster." Gibbs laughed and pulled a set of keys out of his pocket.

"No, they're right here," he smirked. Tony stared at his boss.

"Why would you do that?" he asked. Kate and McGee laughed as well.

"To see if you would offer her a ride," he chuckled.

"Does she know about this?" he asked. Gibbs shook his head.

"No, but I'll deal with that." Shoving the keys in his pocket, Gibbs left the room to check on Abbey's progress. Kate stared at Tony.

"You pathetic sap. You'll do anything to get laid." Tony sneered and collapsed in his chair.

"I wasn't trying to get laid," he muttered. "I was being a gentleman." He picked up a comic book and placed his feet on his desk. After a moment of silence, he perked up again. "Hey, you know she's got a kid?" he asked as he glanced from Kate to McGee. Kate shrugged.

"So, she's 26, she's probably been in a serious relationship. What business of yours is it?" she responded. Tony groaned. McGee looked around.

"How old is he?" he asked. Tony shook his head.

"How am I supposed to know? I didn't ask. How do you know it's a he?" he asked. McGee shrugged.

"It's a generally universal term." After that he went quiet and continued his work.

"No lead on that wallet from the dumpster?" Tony asked as he began to throw pencils into the ceiling. McGee shook his head.

"I can't get a hold of the family and his profile isn't in any databases. He isn't a criminal or Naval officer."

"So, he's just a civilian who threw his wallet in the dumpster. Good lead McGee," Tony laughed. His co-worker snarled and ignored him.

"Well, I don't see you doing any work," McGee snapped. Tony sprung forward in his chair and stared at his co-worker with shock.

"Excuse me?"

"What are you doing to contribute to this investigation?" he asked. Tony narrowed his brow and shook his head.

"I went dumpster diving. I had to ruin a two hundred dollar suit to collect that evidence that you're processing right now. What have I done?" he spat bitterly and he relaxed in his chair again.

"Well, now why don't you try doing something else? You're not getting paid to throw pencils in the ceiling," McGee said sharply as he looked back to the computer screen. Tony couldn't believe it.

"You're sure moody today. What's up your ass?" he asked. Kate threw an eraser at him.

"Shut up Tony," she looked to McGee, who was typing fiercely on the computer. "I already asked him that," her tone went a little softer. "He didn't tell me." Tony smirked and placed his hands behind his head.

"Something go wrong in the bedroom last night?" he asked. "Was Abbey disappointed?" McGee swung around and threw a container of writing utensils at Tony.

"Shut up!" he shouted as he jumped to his feet. With a turn of his heel, he stormed out of the office. Kate and Tony stared at each other.

"Whoa!" they both exclaimed.

"That's a side of McGee I've never seen before," Kate said as she looked at the door. "And I hope not to see again." Her gaze landed on Tony.

"Go see what's wrong." Tony's eyes shit wide.

"Me? Forget it!"

"You made him angry." Tony wrinkled him nose and rose to his feet.

"Fine." Swiftly, he followed McGee's trail and prayed he wouldn't lose his life when he found him.


	3. Chapter 3

Groaning, Tony searched the floor for McGee. He couldn't have gone far. This floor wasn't that big. It had just been a joke. McGee was being so sensitive lately. He wondered what was up.

"Maybe he went downstairs," he grumbled as he thought of the lab. "Maybe he went to see Abbey," he sneered at the thought and casually took the elevator down two floors to the lab. Instead of finding a steaming McGee being calmed by a laughing Abbey. He found a whispering Gibbs. He and McGee were having a quiet conversation in the corner and Abbey was no where to be found. At first he didn't go right in. Eavesdropping, he listened to what Gibbs was saying.

"Calm down Timothy," he said with a smirk. "Don't take anything he says seriously. You know he's just an idiot." A faint smile crossed McGee's lips, but faded when he spoke.

"It's not just that boss," he paused. Gibbs took in a deep breath and placed a hand on his shoulder. "It's time to get over it McGee. That was years ago. Move on. OK? She has." Without another word, he headed out of the lab. Tony jumped back behind the door as Gibbs and Abbey crossed paths.

"Is he OK now?" she asked. Gibbs sighed.

"He's gonna be fine," he said as he grabbed his coffee off the counter and left the lab. As he passed he door, he slammed it against the wall and sent Tony flat against the wall.

"Mind your own business DiNozzo," he muttered without stopping. Tony pushed the door away and groaned. He rubbed his nose and followed Abbey into the lab.

"McGee!" he called. The other agent snarled and turned away from his co-worker. "Listen man," Tony started. "I'm sorry about earlier. You know me and my mouth." McGee swung around and came his way. As he passed Tony, he slammed him against the door and kept on walking. He remained silent and disappeared into the elevator. Tony closed his eyes and sighed. He slowly approached Abbey. She shot him a glare and he ducked.

"What are you doing?" she asked as she took a drink of her Slurpee.

"Aren't you gonna hit me?" he asked.

"No," she replied cautiously. "Should I?" Tony sighed.

"Its my fault that McGee is angry," he told her. She nodded.

"Oh, that," she shrugged. "He'll be fine. He's just tolerated your jokes so long he finally snapped." She looked to him and smirked. "I like that side of him." Tony sighed and turned around. As he headed out of the room, Abbey stopped him. "I got a hit on that gun you guys found," she said. Tony swung around and raced back to her side.

"And?"

"It was littered with gun shot residue and small splatters of blood," she told him.

"Blood? Who's blood? Did you get an owner?"

"Hold on, I'm getting there." Tony groaned.

"It was registered to a civilian. Thomas Fred Morrissey. He bought it in Montana about a year ago. He reported it missing when he was suffering from identity theft," she explained. Tony's eyes widened.

"So, the gun is linked to the wallet," he pursed his lips. "Damn! She was right!" Abbey smiled.

"I don't know about you, but I kinda like her. She's got a little spunk to her." Tony wrinkled his nose.

"Yah, spunk, that's it," he grumbled. He soon turned his attention back to the case. "And the blood?" he asked eagerly.

"What blood?" a female voice asked as the door swung open. Tony turned to find Candice with a Slurpee of her own. He shot her a puzzled look and shifted his gaze back to Abbey.

"Hey Candi," Abbey greeted her. "Nice going," she said as she lifted her Slurpee to the new agent. Tony rolled his eyes and banged his head against the wall.

"Watch it DiNozzo, you might lose a few more brain cells," Candice smirked. Tony shot her an annoyed glare. Abbey chuckled.

"I didn't know he had any left."

"Nice one," Candice laughed as she and the lab technician high-fived. Tony cleared his throat.

"Please, the blood splatter?" Abbey looked back to the screen

"Oh, right." She brought up a profile of a petty officer.

"It belongs to our victim," she told them.

"Impossible," Tony muttered. "She had no bullet wounds."

"Well, it's pretty fresh, so you'd better go talk to Ducky," she told him.

"Well, it could be transfer," Candice said aloud.

"I'm gonna notify Gibbs, you two go talk to Ducky," Abbey said as she turned back to her computer.

"I'll talk to Ducky, you go talk to McGee," Tony demanded as he looked to Candice.

"Me?" she said. "Why me?" He stared at her young, glimmering face.

"Because, he won't talk to me," he said firmly. She stared back at him with those shining blue-grey eyes. They searched his face with worry and disgust.

"And who says he'll talk to me?" she asked. He shrugged and brushed his hair out of his face.

"Because you have no beef with him," he pointed out.

"Oh yah. And how do you know that?" she asked. He laughed. "You've been here, what? Half a day?" Without another word, he swung around and left the room. Behind him, he could hear her grunting and storming toward the elevator.

As Tony entered the autopsy room, Ducky looked up at him and smiled. The man had been doing this for quite some time. Everyone admired him. He was very good at his work and was a wonderful addition to the team.

"And how can I help you Mr DiNozzo?" he asked as he pulled off his rubber gloves and stepped away from the tray with the dead petty officer.

"We found blood splatter on the gun we recovered from the dumpster. It matched our victim," he told the Medical Examiner. A puzzled look crossed Ducky's face.

"Odd, she has no bullet wounds," he pointed out. Tony nodded.

"Precisely, that's why I'm here. Any way the blood could have transferred?" he asked. Ducky nodded.

"Well, of course," he replied. "I'll look into it." Tony nodded and left the room. He headed for the office to check on Candi's progress.

When he stepped off the elevator, he stopped and watched the two agents. They were the only ones there, Kate was incognito. Deciding to see what would happen, he remained silent and watched the two. Candice was leaning forward on McGee's desk with her hands flat on a stack of files. She was whispering, so he couldn't hear her. McGee looked awestruck, like he was staring a celebrity in the face.

"Listen to me Timothy," she demanded. "Have you or have you not got a lead on that wallet? We have splatter in the gun that matches our petty officer. Abbey's gonna try and pull a print right now. It was registered to Thomas Morrissey. Our wallet guy. Now get a hold of him or his family soon or we'll lose this case. Got it?" Tony stared at her. She was so much like Gibbs, it was no surprise she made it so far in life. But what was her connection to McGee? She always seemed awkward or upset around him. He had to know. When she swung around to head for the elevator, Tony ducked behind a desk. McGee jumped up and threw his hand in the air.

"I'm sorry," he said quietly. She turned around and narrowed her brow.

"Sorry?" she snarled. "Sorry? Don't even go there McGee or I'll have my dad fire your ass." Without another word, she stormed into the elevator and disappeared. Tony stared at the closed doors of the elevator. Sorry? About what? What had happened before he got up here? Sneaking from behind the desk, he acted as if he had just climbed off the elevator.

"I just saw Candi, she looked pissed? What, did you lose us the case?" he lied. McGee shook his head.

"Get lost Tony," he snapped. "I have work to do."


	4. Chapter 4

Grumbling beneath his breath, Tony headed for the elevator. He stopped when the doors opened and Gibbs stepped off, Candice behind him. She didn't look very happy either. Whatever was up, wasn't good.

"OK guys," Gibbs began as he motioned Tony back into the room. "We have work to do. McGee, speed it up would you? We don't have a lifetime to do this, a killer is on the loose and it's our job to catch him. Candice, DiNozzo, I want you two to go to New York and visit the address listed on Thomas Morrissey's driver's licence. McGee, find an address for our fingerprint donor. Abbey has a name but no known address. And Kate-" He paused and swung around. "Kate?" he glanced from Tony to Candice. "Where's Kate?" McGee stood up and shifted his tired eyes around the room.

"I don't know boss. I didn't see her leave." Gibbs shook his head.

"Never mind, I'll worry about her. You find an address for Mr Gregory Danielson. DiNozzo, Candice, get a move on." As he boarded the elevator, Candice reluctantly followed him. Silently, she stood next to him.

"So, what's the deal?" he asked bravely. She shot him a mean glare as the elevator came to a stop.

"Let's just go. The trip to New York is a long one," she paused and pulled out her keys. "Your car or mine?" He shook his head. Without giving him time to respond, she pointed to him. "Yours, I don't feel like driving." Groaning, he agreed and they made their way out to his vehicle. The first hour of the trip was long and quiet. Eventually, Tony got the courage to talk to her.

"So, what's the deal with you?" he asked casually. She sneered and removed her gaze from the passing scenery.

"What do you mean… What's the deal?" He sighed.

"I mean, on your locker, it reads Speedle. Are you married? Or were you?" he asked. At the mention of her last name, her eyes glazed over.

"I was married," she said solemnly. Sadness was in her voice; it surprised him.

"What happened?" he asked. "I mean, it's ok if you don't want to tell me. Did he leave?" She took in a deep breath and looked his way. Tears were forming in her crystal grey eyes as she looked back to the beautiful Virginia landscape.

"He was killed," she replied slowly. Tony felt grief for her.

"Oh, I'm sorry," he said quietly. She shook her head.

"No, it's ok. The therapist says it's good for me to talk about it," she told him.

"Do you mind if I ask-"

"How?" she finished his question as she looked back to him. "He was killed on the job. Took a bullet to the chest," she paused. "He worked for the Miami Dade Crime Lab. Similar to what you do." She turned away from him and stared at her feet. Wiggling her toes, the shiny purple nail polish glittered in the sunlight. The atmosphere became gloomy. "We were married less than a month," she continued. "I couldn't stay in Miami after that. I had just gotten out of the Marines and being with him was the best thing that ever happened to me. We fell in love over the summer and were married by the end of August. It was like a fairy tale. His friends offered to help me out, but I couldn't stay. When my dad suggested this job I knew it would be a chance to make a difference. So I took it. Now-" she stopped. He glanced to her.

"Now what?" he asked. She shook her head.

"Never mind. Just drive." The rest of the trip to New York was silent and Tony felt awkward. He knew a piece of her past, and it was sad. She was a different person than he thought she was and now he felt somewhat closer to her.

Upon arrival in New York, the duo didn't rest. Instead, they headed straight over to Thomas Morrissey's house. It was a small apartment in the heart of New York City. Well kept and very neat, Tony felt at home. Cautiously, he knocked on the door. Inside was silent, until the third knock. A woman screaming from inside was followed by a grunting male voice.

"Shut up woman," a man mumbled from the other side of the door. "Who's there?" he called grumpily.

"NCIS. We're here to speak to Thomas Morrissey!" he called through he door. He kept his right hand on his gun. The door slowly opened and a pugey, bald man poked his head out. It wasn't the man on the driver's licence.

"He's not here," he muttered. Tony took a step closer and peeked into the apartment. It was very messy and smelled like B.O.

"Where is he? Do you know where we can reach him?" he asked. The bald man shook his head. "No, he left three days ago and I haven't seen him since," he told them.

"Do you mind if we take a look around?" Candice asked as she pushed Tony out of the way. The man nodded and opened the door wider.

"Help yourselves, We've nothing to hide. We're just watching the place while he's gone."

"Are you sure about this Candi?" Tony asked. "We don't have a warrant and this isn't their apartment. She shrugged and looked to him.

"So what? They gave us permission. We're not just barging in. Now are you going to help me look around or are you going to stand guard in the hallway?" The last question was more of a sarcastic remark. Tony wrinkled his nose and stepped into the smelly, messy apartment.

"Oh right," he paused. "She's Gibbs' daughter," he muttered bitterly. Inside the small, gross apartment, he couldn't spot anything suspicious right away, but Candice was already tearing through the bedroom. A smirk crossed his mischievous lips when he followed her in. "Just my kind of girl. Straight to the bedroom." She turned to him and stuck out her tongue.

"So, I'm guessing this is how you live, DiNozzo," she shot back. He shook his head and examined a photo on the dresser.

"I like my place clean. There's something about the constant smell of B.O. that does nothing for me." She smiled as she pulled a leather glove out of the night stand drawer.

"No wonder you have trouble getting laid," she laughed. He sneered and stuck out his tongue.

"In case you were wondering, I have no problems getting laid," he retaliated. He swung around to find the bald man standing at the door.

"It's nice to know that the security of our country is in such good hands," he remarked. Tony groaned and continued to search though Thomas's things.

"Have you touched or moved anything?" he asked. Assuming the answer, he asked anyway, out of procedure. To his surprise, the man shook his head.

"The place was like this when we got here. Looks like it's been ransacked. I figured he'd only be gone a few days so we left it the way it was. Why are you here anyway?" he asked. Tony pointed a finger at him.

"We'll ask the questions," he said firmly. Candice pushed by him and held out a bloody rag.

"Bag this," she ordered, before looking to the short, fat man. "An officer of the US Navy was found murdered this morning. We're here because evidence led us in this direction. We have reason to believe that your friend Thomas had something to do with it. Now have you heard from him or seen any signs of him in the last few days?" she asked professionally. Tony wrinkled his nose and mocked her. She was so forward and too bossy. The smelly, old man shook his head.

"Nope. He left the keys to his apartment in our mailbox on Friday morning. A note was attached saying he had to go out of town on official business. I took the key and the note and me and Myrna came up here."

"And who's watching you place?" Tony chipped in. The man shrugged.

"Our son still lives at home, so he's there. Why is this all so important?"

"Federal investigation, sir," Candice replied. "Thank you for your input, it's appreciated, now we need to continue our investigation." The man nodded and headed back to the living room. Aside from the bloody white rag, they found nothing else in the apartment. There was no indication anywhere that proved Thomas Morrissey owned a gun.

"Should we head back?" Tony asked as he leaned against the door frame of the bedroom. Candice sighed and nodded.

"We've scavenged everything we could, I guess we call Gibbs and tell him we're on our way back," she suggested. Tony stared at her and reached for his cell phone. She was getting more and more professional by the hour.

"I'll call," he grumbled as he hit '4' on his speed dial. It rang three times before he got an answer.

"DiNozzo," Gibbs greeted. "Did you get anything?"

"Yah boss. But very little."

"How little?" his boss sounded disappointed.

"We found a bloody rag in his bedroom. It could be nothing but we can take it back to the lab for analysis."

"Good enough. Are you done? If you are, get back here as quickly as possible. Got it?"

"Yes boss," Tony answered before the line went dead. He groaned and put his cell phone back in his pocket. "Let's go," he said to Candi. She nodded and waved courteously to the couple in the living room.

"We may be in touch," she told them as she exited the smelly, dirty suite.

"So…" Tony started. "Wanna grab a bite to eat before the long trip back?" he asked, She shrugged as she stepped on the elevator.

"As long as you're paying," she smirked. He rolled his eyes. When the elevator came to a stop, she dashed off, as if in a hurry. He stared at her.

"Where's the fire?" he grinned. She stuck her tongue out at him and waved him out of the building.

"C'mon slowpoke! It's nice out here!" With a sigh, he hurried out of the building. A clear, starry night sky greeted him. It was very nice out.

"So, where to for dinner?" he asked.

"Something quick. I don't like restaurants," she replied with a shrug. He sighed and reached for his wallet.

"I have forty bucks on me. What do you want? McDonald's?" he laughed. She smiled.

"It'll do." With a look around, she pointed north east. "I know a really nice spot around here that we could go eat at," she suggested. With a nod, he agreed.

"OK, McDonald's it is," he smirked as he reached for his car keys. "Where's the closest one?" he asked. She pointed down the street behind them.

"Four blocks that way," she told him. Sliding the key into the ignition and shifting into drive, he looked to her. "You sure know New York pretty well. How's that?" he inquired. She glanced out her window.

"I spent most of my child hood here. It was so much fun. I left when I was thirteen to go to high school. That's when I moved in with my dad," she explained. "So I know the city pretty well." When arriving at McDonald's, they pulled in the drive-thru. They ordered quickly and headed for the highway.

"So, where is this pretty spot you were telling me about?" he asked. She pointed east.

"That way," she told him. "Turn right at the next street and I'll give you directions from there." He shrugged and followed her instructions. In no time they were there. She was right. It was a beautiful view of the entire city. The ocean was clearly visible and on a clear night like that one, the Statue Of Liberty could be seen at full scale.

"Wow," he exclaimed. "How'd you find this place?" She took in a deep breath and smiled faintly, her gaze shifted to the ground.

"My dad used to bring me here when I was little. He would tell me stories of his Marine days. Back then he was still a Marine, but he would tell me wonderful stories of travel and the beautiful places he'd seen. That was before he left us." Her smile faded. Tony couldn't help but feel some emotion for her. She turned out OK, considering the trauma she'd been through. "So," she perked up with a devilish grin. "Tell me about you. I don't know anything." He twisted his face in thought.

"Well…" he began. "You're probably not interested. It might…" She looked to him with curiosity.

"It might what? Bore me?" she laughed. "I guess there isn't much to you, eh DiNozzo?" she laughed some more. He wrinkled his nose.

"You'd be jealous," he said quickly. She smirked.

"Try me." He stuck his tongue out at her but remained quiet. "So I was right?" she said, "There isn't much beyond the surface of the womanizing Anthony DiNozzo."

"There is too," he shot back. "Like what? A messy apartment and 300 dollar suits? B.O?" she laughed. "I don't think there's too much more to you," she said casually as she leaned back in her seat and began examining her chewed off fingernails. He wrinkled his nose and stuck out his tongue at her. She sneered playfully and shot him a sarcastic glare.

"Let's just go," he muttered as he grabbed his keys off the dashboard. Upon impact, they flung from his hand to the floor. When he leaned down to grab the keys, he came face to face with her. Those beautiful, shimmering, blue grey eyes met his tired, frustrated eyes. The thought of kissing her ran across his mind but after careful consideration, he decided against it. Instead, he snatched his keys off the floor and shoved them in the ignition.

"Let's just go," he repeated as he shifted the gear into drive. A smile of satisfaction crossed Candi's lips, and all he could feel was aggravation. The drive back to Virginia was going to be long, and to share it with a tired, smart-ass Candi was going to be trouble.


	5. Chapter 5

Candice was unusually quiet the whole ride home. She barely said a word and appeared to have something on her mind. Did Tony bring something up from her past that hurt her? He was too afraid to ask. Instead, he focused on his driving and thought of the bloody rag. It was way up in New York, their victim had been found in Virginia. Maybe the body was transferred? Ducky said there showed no signs of transportation, though it could be possible. Hopefully Abbey could get something off the rag that was linked to their case, maybe it would help them find Thomas Morrissey. As they re-entered the state of Virginia, he looked to Candice.

"Want to grab a bite to eat before we head back to the office?" There was a long silence and no response. "Candi?" At the mention of her name, she whipped her gaze from the spacious Virginia fields and looked to her co-worker.

"What?" she asked in a daze. A faint smile crossed his lips when he noticed her sleepy eyes.

"Were you sleeping?" he asked. She shrugged.

"Not really, I could still hear you humming off tune to the radio," she smirked. He blushed and switched off the radio.

"So? Do you want to get something to eat?" he asked again. She shook her head.

"No, I'm not hungry." She rested her head against the window again. "Let's just get back to the office." Tony nodded and looked back to the road. When they pulled into the parking lot of the NCIS building, Candice got out and silently went back inside. Tony grabbed the evidence from the backseat and followed her inside. In the office, he found Abbey waiting excitedly for the rag.

"A little too happy about this, are we?" he asked. She smiled and took the bag from him. Without a word, she disappeared back to the lab.

"So, what did the guy tell you?" Gibbs asked as he looked from Candice to Tony. Candice groaned.

"Well, Thomas Morrissey was conveniently out of town. And the people staying at his apartment didn't know anything. All We got was the rag. As messy as the place was, there wasn't a single piece of Thomas Morrissey in there. It's like he was never there. Just the rag. Maybe it'll get something," she told him. He placed a hand on her shoulder and smiled.

"Nice work Candice." Tony wrinkled his nose

"She wasn't in it alone you know." Gibbs stared at him.

"If you keep up that attitude, DiNozzo, and she will be," he said as he headed for the elevator. "McGee, you're with me. We're going to check out a Devin Campbell. His print was on The Driver's License." Tony stepped toward his boss.

"What about the gun?" he asked. Gibbs pointed downstairs.

"Abbey's got your results for you. Go to her." Candice shot Tony a challenging glare and dashed for the elevator. Before he got there, it was gone.

"Ugh," he grumbled and waited for the next one. When he got down there, Candi and Abbey were laughing and sorting through a bag of evidence from a different case. "So?" he asked. "I understand you have the owner of the print on the gun?" Abbey nodded triumphantly and brought up a profile on the computer.

"Farron Scott Williams. Former Sergeant with the US Marines. He has a clean record, not even an accusation," she explained. Tony rubbed his hands together excitedly and licked his lips.

"So, where can we find him?" Abbey shook her head.

"Can't. He died six months ago." Candice stared at her co-worker.

"You're not serious!" she raced over to the screen. "He can't be dead, we found his print!" Abbey shrugged.

"Don't know what to tell you," she said. "I just do the analysis, it's your job to make sense of it." Collapsing on the floor, Candi folded her legs and placed her chin in her palms.

"Hmm…" she groaned. "I guess the gun isn't linked to our case." Tony looked back to Abbey, who had a forming smile on her dark lips.

"What aren't you telling us?" he asked. She giggled and pulled up a different screen.

"I swabbed foreign DNA off the gun. It was linked to a case three years ago that went cold." Candice jumped to her feet and rushed to Abbey's side.

"They never arrested anyone?" she asked.

"Nope. They found DNA at the crime scene which they assumed the killers. They never found a suspect.," Abbey told her. Candice appeared to be bubbling with excitement.

"And…" She said. Abbey smiled.

"You're gonna love this!" Tony groaned.

"Tell us Abbey." The dark-haired girl clicked around the screen and pulled up another profile.

"It matches your suspect." Candice jumped three feet in the air and threw her arms around Abbey.

"Yay!" she exclaimed. "So he was involved in the case three years ago?" Abbey nodded.

"Presumably." Candice stepped back.

"But that still doesn't give us a location on Morrissey." Abbey sook her head.

"But Gibbs put out an alert with his driver's licence photo. Tips have been flowing in," she told them. Tony sighed.

"But until we get a lead, then we're stuck here." Abbey smirked and left the computer. She returned with a sheet of paper.

"You see, that's where you're wrong." Tony stared at her as he took the sheet. There was a list of chemicals and their amounts.

"What's this?" he asked. She pointed to the graph chart on the bottom.

"That, my friend. Is the key to finding our suspect." Tony twisted his face in confusion.

"Come again?"

"That's a list of all the chemicals I swabbed off the gun. You found it in a dumpster. That means it was moved recently. Those chemicals show it was in a highly toxic factory for about…" she paused and smiled. "Three years." Candice stepped forward.

"So if we trace the chemicals, could get a potential crime scene for our cold case and maybe evidence leading us to our suspect." Abbey nodded. She and Candi high-fived. "Nice going Abs."

"Can you find a precise location where the chemicals came from?" Tony asked, interrupting the girl talk. Abbey laughed.

"Of course! There are only a few factories in this district that didn't stop using those chemicals after 9/11. I'll track them down for you and you can check them out."

"Does Gibbs know?" Candice asked. Abbey shook her head.

"I thought I'd give you the pleasure of telling him." Tony whipped out his cell phone and called the boss.

"What is it DiNozzo?" he answered.

"Boss, we got a couple of hits off the gun. Abbey found foreign DNA and chemicals. She's tracking down the location of the source."

"Is that all you called to tell me DiNozzo? You don't know anything else?"

"Well, the print belonged to a dead Marine and the DNA was linked to a cold case three years ago."

"And?"

"It belongs to our suspect."

"Get a location on those chemicals, me and McGee will bring in Devin Campbell." Before Tony could respond, the line was dead. When he swung around, he found Candice and Abbey staring at him.

"Jerk," Abbey said as she stuck out her tongue. Tony sighed and put his phone away.

"They're gonna bring in the other guy," he told them. Candice headed for the door and waved to Abbey.

"Call me when you track down the source." She motioned Tony to follow her and they headed back upstairs.

While he sat bored at his desk, Tony stared at the empty desk across from him. Kate's desk. He hadn't seen Kate in almost twenty four hours. Where'd she disappear to? That wouldn't make Gibbs too happy. Across from Kate's empty desk sat Candice, in Gibbs' desk. She was tossing pencils into the ceiling and being very quiet.

"Where are you Gibbs?" Tony muttered. "I want to get this guy." As he leaned back in his desk, Gibbs and McGee stepped off the elevator.

"Did you get him?" Candice asked upon receiving a glare from her father. He nodded.

"He's down in interrogation. I want you two to question him. Me and McGee will go to this warehouse."

"Which one?" Tony asked as he rose to his feet.

"Abbey doesn't know yet?" he asked. As he glanced from Candice to McGee, Tony's phone rang.

"DiNozzo," he answered.

"Tony, I found the warehouse. Its an abandoned factory outside the city. It's huge and green, you can't miss it," she told him.

"Thanks Abs, I'll tell boss." When he put his phone away, everyone was staring at him. "An old green factory outside of town. She said you can't miss it," he explained. Gibbs swung around.

"That's the old Pharaoh Warehouse. They used to produce toxic waste there years ago. They got shut down because they were causing too much harm to the environment. C'mon McGee, let's go," he tightened his gun. "DiNozzo, Candice, get onto our suspect," he ordered as the elevator doors closed. Candice looked to Tony and smiled.

"Well, you heard him. Lets go."

In the interrogation room, the two agents were greeted by a tall, dark haired man with fair skin. He was dressed in a long black trench coat and black, heeled boots. Without moving, he sat there and stared at the mirror.

"Who's behind there?" he asked maliciously. "Your boss?" he looked up to Tony with a snarl then glanced to Candice. "What's a pretty thing like you doing working a job like this?" he wondered with a grin. "I could get you a real good job where you could exploit that beautiful body." Candice's face hardened and she walked over to the man. Raising her hand, a loud hollow slap echoed through the room. Tony stared in disbelief. Then she leaned over the table and stared Devin Campbell in the eye.

"Tell us where Thomas Morrissey is," she demanded. His nose wrinkled.

"Thomas who?" he asked, rubing his left cheek. It was turning pink. Tony chuckled.

"Thomas Morrissey, the man you're covering for."

"I don't know any Thomas Morrissey, lady. I work alone," he grumbled as he pulled out a lighter and began flicking it on and off. Candice ripped it from his hand and threw it across the room.

"Then tell me where Agent Todd is," she demanded. Tony's eyes widened. Kate? Did she really think that Kate's disappearance was connected to the case? It did make sense.

"Wait Candi, you don't really think-" She cut him off and straightened her back.

"No Agent DiNozzo, I don't think, I know." She snapped, then shot the suspect a mean glare. "If you don't know who Thomas Morrissey is, then why was your fingerprint on his driver's license?" The man shrugged.

"I found a wallet, cleared it out. Must have been his," he said calmly. Candice appeared to be becoming frustrated. He pushed cautiously by her and looked to the man.

"What do you know about the abandoned warehouse outside of town?" Tony asked. "You know, the old Pharaoh warehouse?" That caught Devin's attention. The suspect looked up to Tony with a fiendish grin.

"Well," he said as he reached in his pocket. Tony grabbed for his gun. Campbell pulled out a watch. "What I do know, is that the bomb in the basement is filled with TNT. So much that it'll blow the whole block to smithereens when it's detonated." Tony noticed Candice tense. He himself felt uneasy. Devin kept on smiling.

"And your Agent Todd, will go up with it."

"Kate?" Tony echoed. Devin nodded. "Yep, it's set to blow in ten minutes," he said sadistically. Candice jumped back.

"My dad!" she raced out of the room and her footsteps echoed down the hall. Tony looked to the officer standing at the door.

"Don't let him go!" he ordered as he rushed after Candice. The two agents jumped in his vehicle and sped to the scene.

"We'll never make it!" she shouted. "Not in this traffic." Tony drove as fast as he could through the crowded highway, but it wasn't helping. When they arrived at the building, it was still standing. McGee was at the car with his laptop.

"McGee!" Tony shouted. "Get out of here!" Timothy looked up.

"What are you guys doing here?" he asked. Tony motioned him over.

"Never mind, just get Gibbs out of there!" McGee rose to his feet and walked slowly over to the duo. Candice jumped out of the car and ran toward the building.

"Candice! Get back here!" Tony shouted. She ignored him and continued running, but when the explosion happened, she went flying in the air. Tony and McGee were shot back a few feet themselves. Shrapnel flew everywhere and smoke filled the air. It hadn't been as big as Campbell said it would. Tony was wrong. As Candice rose to her feet, there was another, bigger explosion.

"Daddy!" she cried before being shot back at Tony and McGee. She landed on top of Tony and tried to get up. He pushed her to her feet and helped himself up. "Daddy!" she cried again. Tears streamed down her face and she collapsed to her knees. Tony felt his heart break and he could see shock in Timothy's face.

"We… We… didn't know…" McGee stuttered. Tony's eyes fell shut.

"Neither did we."


	6. Chapter 6

Tony felt his heart snap in two as Candice fell slowly to her knees. Those small, fragile hands clenched her stomach as shimmering tears of sadness ran down her red, freckled cheeks. Tears began to form in his eyes as well. Next to him, Agent McGee stared at the burning building with his jaw hanging open.

"Daddy!" Candice whimpered, not looking up at the wreck before her. Streams of tears left clean rivers on her dirty, blackened face.

"What's all the blubbering about?" a husky voice boomed from behind them. Candice snapped to her knees and swung around.

"Daddy!" she hollered as she raced past Tony. Tony glanced over his shoulder. Sure enough, there was Gibbs, dirty and bloody, with torn clothes and a missing shoe. Candice swung her arms around her father and clung tightly.

"Oh my god, I thought you were a goner!" she shouted. Gibbs smiled, but the smile slowly faded.

"What was that all about?" he asked, staring at the burning building. Tony took in a deep breath.

"Our suspect led us here. He said it was going to blow - with Kate in it," he explained. Sorrow filled his heart at the thought of it. Gibbs' eyes widened.

"Agent Todd?" he gently pushed Candice away and raced back into the warehouse. "Kate!" his deep voice echoed though the empty afternoon. It seemed like forever until he returned. "I can't find her!" he called angrily. When he approached the vehicle, he motioned Candice in. "Candice, ride with me. McGee, DiNozzo, we'll meet you at headquarters." Tony nodded. "Yes boss."

The ride back with McGee was strangely silent. Tony felt now was the time to dig and pry. Before speaking, he observed the nerdy, goody-goody. McGee wasn't the kind to have a beef with someone, but obviously there was something buried deep that triggered an angry reaction to Candice.

"So dude, what's the deal?" he asked without taking his eyes off the road. Timothy's face twisted in confusion.

"What?"

"You know, between you and Candice?" Tony asked. McGee groaned.

"Nothing," he said, turning his gaze out the window. Tony laughed.

"There has to be something. What happened man?" he began. "Did she blow you off? Turn you down? Too good for you?" Timothy's face turned red.

"Shut up Tony, you're wrong." With a smirk of satisfaction, Tony relaxed. He was getting somewhere.

"Then what is it, she doesn't like you?" His colleague wrinkled his nose and went quiet. "Are you too smart for her? To good? Ha! I knew it!"

"Shut up Tony," McGee snapped. His face was turning redder and redder. "Just drive!"

When they arrived at headquarters, they found Gibbs and Candice waiting. The boss was holding a large coffee and his daughter a Slurpee. Tony stared in bewilderment. "How-" he stuttered. "How did you beat us? You stopped, and left after us!" he exclaimed. Behind him, McGee was snickering. Gibbs Grinned and pointed to Candice as she rose her hand.

"She drove." Tony groaned and slinked into his desk.

"Another one?" he asked. He remembered Gibbs' driving and if his daughter was anything like him, then that meant trouble. Gibbs took in a deep a breath and rose to his feet.

"I'm going to go talk to Campbell and find out what the hell is going on, you three be patient."

Tony watched from behind the mirror as his boss interrogated Campbell. All the agents were still in shock over the explosion and Kate's death. There was a Crime Scene Unit from the NCIS going over every inch of the burnt out warehouse searching for Kate's body. Gibbs' was angrier than Tony had ever seen.

"Tell me why you did it!" the boss shouted at the suspect. Devin grinned.

"What? Agent Todd? Mmm…hmm... she was something all right. Sweet, yet strong… It's such a shame she had to be our sacrifice…" he said maliciously as he licked his lips in a fiendish way. That set Gibbs over the edge.

"Shut up slime ball!" he shouted as he threw the man to the floor. He stepped on his chest and spat on him. "Who's 'our'? There are more of you sickos out there?" Devin wiped the spit off his face and tried to push himself up. Gibbs slammed him back down. "You're not going anywhere buster," he snapped. "Now tell me who the others are." Campbell shook his head.

"No." Slamming him harder, Gibbs' face turned red with anger.

"So you're willing to take the blame and the consecutive life sentences and possible execution for the murder of a federal agent. Two in fact." For the first time, Campbell looked scared. Gibbs smirked. "Thought so," he slowly removed his foot from Devin's chest. "Now tell me who your colleagues are." Taking his time, the suspect cautiously rose to his feet and glanced around. After a moment of stillness, he dashed for the door. Gibbs grabbed him and slammed him into the wall. Clenching the man's throat, he pressed him against the rigid surface. "Tell me who you're working with… Or working for." Tony cringed as he watched the man's face turn purple. This was police brutality and Gibbs could lose his job, but there wasn't anything Tony himself could do. Nothing but watch. Spitting and sputtering for breath, Devin could barely speak.

"T- T- T-" he choked. "Thomas Morrissey." The boss dropped the worthless man and stepped back.

"That wasn't so hard, now, was it," he muttered. "Now, where is he?" The suspect rubbed his throat as he struggled to catch his breath.

"He's with Michael Wimble."

"And where do I find Wimble?"

"He's a drifter, never in the same place twice." Gibbs punched the wall in anger.

"Anything I can do to track him?" Devin's face lit up and he nodded.

"He is a drug dealer, most popular stash in the south-eastern coast. If you talk to some junkies, they might be able to locate him better than I can," he explained. Gibbs kicked the man on his way out.

"For your sake, I hope your not lying." He looked to the officer outside. "Cuff him," he ordered as he disappeared from sight. He poked his head in the room behind the mirror and motioned Tony out.

"What now boss?"

"We find Michael Wimble, and we get Thomas Morrissey."


	7. Chapter 7

"So, what do you want to do, boss?" Tony asked. Gibbs' face was red with anger and frustration. They needed to track down Michael Wimble, and they needed to do it quick. For Kate's sake. Losing her had sent Gibbs into a frenzy. Confusion swept over him when Gibbs stopped and leaned against his desk.

"Here's what we will do," he began as he looked to the team. "Tony, you will take Candice and the two of you will go to the District and ask about Wimble. See what information you can gather. McGee, you get CSU on the phone and find out what they have found. Whatever they find, I want it to our lab immediately. OK?" Timothy nodded and took a seat at his desk. "Well, DiNozzo, Candice, what are you waiting for?" he ordered. Candice's eyes dropped to her feet then she looked up at her father.

"Are you sure you're gonna be okay, daddy?" she asked. He nodded and took in a deep breath.

"Just go, I'm gonna be fine," he demanded. Without another word, Candice and Tony headed down to the parking lot.

"Your dad's a tough guy, besides, if anyone will catch Morrissey, it'll be him," Tony told her. She looked upset. Due to the current events, who could blame her? Tony was totally out of his mind. How could someone be so heartless? It was a sick, twisted game to these people, and it was up to NCIS to put them behind bars. Quietly, the two agents crawled into Tony's car to go discover the downtown District. It was where all the druggies and hoodlums hung out. Any illegal activity could be found there.

"Shouldn't we look the part?" Candice asked. Tony sighed. She was right. If they went downtown in classy clothing, they'd be shot on suspicion of police work.

"True," he murmured, "But we're Federal Agents, we have guns, besides, you the part enough for the both of us," he teased. He was referring to her short, black leather pants and white tank top. Over top, she wore a black leather jacket. Her long curly hair was pulled back in a messy ponytail and her makeup was dark. The mascara she'd been wearing had run down her face with the tears earlier. She shot him a dirty look.

"Shut up DiNozzo. Just drive." It wasn't long before they were in the District. There were people scattered everywhere and many of them were lying in the street, next to dumpsters and scavenging for food or drugs. Tony slowed to a stop and a tall, long haired man approached them. He had long, frizzy hair and a shady goatee.

"What do you want?" he asked gruffly. Candi pulled out her badge and flashed it at the man.

"Michael Wimble," she demanded. He swallowed and shook his head.

"What makes you think I should tell you?" he asked sharply.

"He's involved with a murder. And if you tell me where I can find him, then I won't turn you into the FBI for trafficking. Now tell me where I can find Michael Wimble." The man took in a deep breath and looked to the ground.

"He headed south a few days ago."

"Where south?" she demanded.

"I think he was headed to Miami to close a huge deal. That's all I know. Sorry," he apologized as he stepped away from the car. Candi rolled up the window and motioned Tony to drive off.

"Well, my dad will be pleased to hear this. Now he's out of our jurisdiction," she muttered. Tony smiled. Finally, something she didn't know.

"We're federal agents, remember? We went to New York looking for Morrissey, we can sure as hell go to Miami looking for Wimble," he reminded her. She took in a deep breath.

"That wasn't what I meant, DiNozzo…" she murmured. He sunk into his seat and then remembered that her husband had worked in Miami.

"Sorry," he whispered. The rest of the ride back to the office was silent.

Upon entering the office, everyone was waiting for them. Tony felt awkward, like all the pressure was on him. They'd found a lead on Wimble and now everyone was anxious to know.

"So?" Gibbs asked coarsely as he folded his arms. Tony took in a deep breath, but before he could answer, Candi stepped forward.

"Wimble fled to Florida when he got wind that we were after him," she told him. Her father stared at her with sympathetic eyes.

"Well, then I need you and DiNozzo to go find him," he ordered. Her eyes fell shut as if it were inevitable.

"Yes, sir," she spat as she swung around and headed for the elevator.

"Are you sure that's a smart idea?" McGee asked. "Maybe I should go instead." Gibbs laughed.

"They would slaughter you down there after what you did." McGee's face twisted in anger and he stalked off.

"Maybe McGee is right, boss," Tony said. Gibbs eyed him. "Maybe it isn't a good idea for her to go down there. Too many memories."

"She'll be fine, DiNozzo. She'll be kept busy keeping you in line," Gibbs said as he smacked Tony on the back of the head and stalked off after his daughter. Tony groaned as he rubbed the back of his head. If Gibbs thought it was a good idea, then it must be, who was Tony to judge his boss. After all, how many mistakes had Gibbs actually made that he regretted.

"Well, I guess I'd better go pack."


	8. Chapter 8

Tony boarded the elevator on the main floor of NCIS. He was anxious going down to Miami with Candi. He was also worried about Kate. The fire and rescue had searched that entire warehouse. They found no body and no sign that she was ever there. That meant she was still alive and Campbell had lied. But why? Besides, he knew Kate was alive, he could feel it. Gibbs was interrogating Campbell as he rode this elevator. When it stopped and the doors opened, he found Candi on the phone. She seemed to be arguing. Deciding not to eavesdrop, he went over to McGee.

"What do you want, Tony?" Tim spat. Tony wrinkled his nose.

"Is the boss with Campbell?" he asked. McGee nodded. Tony adjusted his backpack on his shoulder and glanced to Candi. She slammed the phone down and looked at him with a forced smile.

"Ready DiNozzo?" she asked as she reached down and picked up her backpack. He nodded as he studied her. She wasn't ready for this trip, but Gibbs would have none of that.

"Let's go." He placed a hand on her should and lead her to the elevator. They walked quietly to the car.

At first she wasn't very talkative, but after they stopped for coffee, she began to open up. She laughed and told stories the entire way. When they hit the outskirts of Miami, she went quiet and mellow. She had gone on and on about her ex-coworkers. She appeared to think very highly of them. With a few confusing directions, they arrived at the lab.

Tony quietly followed her to the building. It was large and elaborate, much different from NCIS headquarters. People were shuffling everywhere and it was quite noisy. When they approached the reception desk, the lady sitting there gasped.

"Candice!" she squealed and jumped out of her chair. She ran over to the tall brunette and they shared a brief hug. Tony observed as a few others noticed the reunion. Some people came over and said hi. They smiled with delight. Everyone seemed excited to see her, she appeared to be well missed. After everyone left, Candi looked to the woman from the desk and got right to the point.

"What are you doing now? I heard you went back to Virginia?" the receptionist asked. Candi nodded and pulled out her badge.

"I work with my dad at NCIS. Is Horatio around?" The woman shook her head.

"Sorry, he and Eric are out on a call. Calleigh's upstairs," she smiled. "I'm sure she would love to see you." Candi nodded and led Tony to the elevator. As the doors opened, a short woman with long blonde hair stepped off. Tony stared at her, she was pretty.

"Candice?" she asked in shock. Candi smiled and the shared more hugs. "What bring you down here?" she asked as she glanced to Tony. "This your new man?" she smirked. Tony's eyes bulged and he watched Candi's face go red.

"No! No," she laughed. "This is Special agent Dinozzo," she introduced. The woman shook his hand.

"Calleigh Duqense," she said. "What brings you down here?" she asked and looked back to Candi.

"We're tracking down a dangerous man. He kidnapped one of out agents and almost killed two others. He keeps leading us to false clues," Candi explained.

Tony felt awkward. Candi knew all these people and made small talk while Wimble and Morrissey were out there with Kate. Just then a noise behind him caught his attention. He swung around.

While Candi chatted, he watched two men drag in Wimble. A tall Latino man and a red haired man argued with him as he struggled to get free. Tony tapped Candi on the shoulder. She swung around, her long curly hair swaying with her motion. Her eyes lit up at the sight of the men.

"Horatio!" shouted as she ran over to the men. She smiled then looked at Wimble. "Where'd you pick him up?"

"Drug bust," the red haired man answered. Tony joined them. The Latino man stared at him with a wrinkled nose.

"Who's this?" he asked. Candi smiled and looked to Tony.

"This is Special Agent Anthony Dinozzo," she answered. "and Tony, this is Lieutenant Horatio Caine and Detective Eric Delko." Horatio nodded.

"Eric, take Mr. Wimble to interrogation." He looked to Candice. "What brings you here?"

"Wimble," she answered with a smirk. "We're searching for him and his associate Thomas Morrissey."

"You want a joint investigation?" Horatio asked.

"We'd rather bring him back to NCIS," Tony piped in. Candi slapped him on the back of the head.

"We'll watch the interrogation," she replied as she eyed Tony. He frowned.

"OK," Horatio agreed. They followed him through the corridors to the interrogation room.

Candi watched though the glass as Horatio conducted the interview. She seemed so happy down here. Being surrounded by all these people, she seemed really comfortable. Tony groaned.

"This is our suspect and our investigation," he mumbled. She appeared not to hear him. Those piercing blue eyes were fixed on Horatio and Wimble. It was as if he wasn't there. Behind them, the door opened.

Tony turned slightly to see Detective Delko. Candice looked too. Her eyes lit up at the sight of her old colleague and she ran to greet him with a hig. Tony felt a surge of jealousy as he observed them.

"How's the little one?" Eric asked. She smiled at the mention of her son.

"He's a little shaken up, moving really upset him," she responded.

"How's he reacting to his biological father?" Eric asked. Candi's eyes glazed over with anger and what looked like shame. She frowned and looked to her feet, she shifted them uncomfortably. Tony was confused.

"Well…" she groaned. Eric rolled his eyes.

"You haven't told him yet?" he asked with irritation. "Candice, he has a right to know." She looked back up to him.

"Tim was his dad," she argued. "If I introduce them, it will just confuse him."

"Candice," Eric's voice was low and warning. Candi shoved him out of her way and headed for the door.

"I need a coffee," she said as she left the room. Tony followed.

"You OK?" he asked as he gently grabbed her arm. She looked him in the eye. He could see tears welling in the corner of her eyes. Eric had struck a nerve.

"I'm fine," she grumbled as she pulled her arm from his grip.

"Candi-" She cut him off.

"Let's focus on getting Wimble back to NCIS," she said as she took off into the crowd of detectives.

Tony sighed. She was obviously distraught and he wished she would talk to him. There was so much he didn't know about her, and so much he wanted to know… His thoughts were interrupted when his phone went off. He checked it. Gibbs.

"Yah boss?" he answered.

"What's going on?" Gibbs asked. Tony frowned.

"Miami-Dade has Wimble. We're waiting for them to release him into our custody. Then we'll bring him back," he explained. Gibbs groaned.

"Do it quick," he ordered before hanging up. Tony stared at his phone. Gibbs. What would he do about Candi? He seemed to love his daughter, but showed her lots of tough love. Candi. He had to find her.


End file.
